I was going to write an amazing article here, but I kept putting it off. There are many ways that you can avoid success in your life, but the easiest and perhaps the most effective way is to put off doing things that are important and necessary to get your job done. We all have done it at some point, and you know what I am talking about. Procrastination. There, I said it.
Personally, I have problems with procrastination and I am not ashamed to admit it. Even though I am not a chronic procrastinator, sometimes I do put things off until later. I work on it all the time and, for the most part, I am able to get tasks done before they become overwhelming. (Although, my editor might disagree.) But the truth is that procrastination is reaching epidemic proportions. In spite of all the negative consequences, some of us still keep doing it.
A report by Psychology Today explored why we procrastinate, and here are 5 things you should know about the bad habit that stops success in its tracks.
- 20% of people say that they are chronic procrastinators. They consider it a lifestyle. The problem affects them in all aspects of their lives. Bills are constantly late and they spend a lot of money taking care of late fees and other penalties. The miss out on concerts and other things that require a ticket or a reservation in advance. They are late giving presents and wait until Christmas eve to do their shopping even though it means that they have a much smaller gift selection to pick from.
- It is a big deal, even though we seem to not take it too seriously. We don't call our friends or co-workers on it when they make excuses for why they didn't get their work done or hold up their end of project. By not holding each other accountable for putting things off, we reinforce the idea that it is acceptable.
- Procrastination isn't a time management issue. While chronic procrastinators may be a bit more optimistic about what they can accomplish in a certain amount of time, the real problem is deeper than managing time. Procrastinators lie to themselves all of the time. They tell themselves that they work better under pressure or that they will feel more like doing things tomorrow. Even though the truth is that they don't feel more like doing it tomorrow.
- Distractions are the true love of the procrastinator. Activities that require a low level commitment are particularly appealing. Checking email, playing games on Facebook or watching TV are all favorites. Distractions make it easier to rationalize doing things later.
- You can stop procrastination. The key is to find a way to combat the voice that says “you can get it done later, it isn't a big deal.” For me, my key is that I am, at the core, lazy. When I want to put things off, I talk myself out of it by saying that in order to be truly lazy, I have to get everything done. When I am procrastinating, I am not able to be truly lazy, because I am always thinking about what I should be doing. There is nothing better than having finished all your tasks and just having nothing to do and nothing hanging over your head waiting to be done. For me, that is motivation enough to go ahead and get stuff done.
If you have a problem getting “around to it” you can change. It may take a huge amount of energy and pep talks, but you can kick this bad habit.
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By: Melissa Kennedy
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